So at work today, the discussion of household heating and gas/electricity bills came up (entering winter Down Under), and I commented that we have our central heating set to 14 Celsius (approx 57 Freedoms) overnight, and off during the day/evening. We find that 14 is quite comfortable under a fluffy doona/duvet. I was warmly mocked (well natured), and informed that something closer to 24C (75F) is appropriate, day and night.

Surely not… right?

  • How interesting - the bricks and blocks would act as quite a good heat mass to sort of, smooth out the temperature? (And chimney is the word we use also 😆)

    Our cottage is built up on hardwood stumps, with a hard oak frame, and asbestos sheet cladding, both inside and out. The roof is almost flat, just a 2 degree incline, with corrugated iron sheets from end to end. Cheap and hollow 😀 hahaha

    • Hahaha yeah, but in winter the walls can get really cold. In summer it keep the house cool.
      Oh wood is known to be a good natural insulation!
      Flat roof? It’s rarely raining? You never have violent rain?
      So it’s a construction in wood from the 50s? Wow. Does it age well? Does it require a lot of maintenance?
      I’m wondering about asbestos from the 50s, here if it’s starting to crumble it’s extremely expensive to get rid of it.

      Here roof is around 40-45 degree incline, and composed of oak frame also. And no asbestos I tried to avoid that at all cost. It was used a lot in the 70s and early 80s.